territorialmillworks

For some items, I use a rosebud repeatedly which means its a pain to either turn the torch or the tanks off every time. Curious, I priced one of the attachments where you lay the torch in a cradle and it turns the gas off. 200 bucks. So I bought a couple reverse thread fittings, two HF valves, fabricated a handle and a mounting base and got a friend to crimp some barb fittings into an old hose. Not spring loaded but works great for $20. Wish I'd done this years ago.

I have two chop saws. The Milwaukee's motor is on its last leg. The Black and Decker is a heavier saw but the pivot boss was worn out and cuts crooked. The answer - bore out the boss, build a new shaft and mount the B&D on the Milwaukee base.

Determine the target blows per minute (BPM) first and assume that you'll use a 1725 RPM motor. Then you can work out the circumference of the drive pully and tire. I bought a 21" (inflated) dia 4 lug tire at Harbor Freight and then machined a hub with a keyway. A 5 lug bolt pattern will be a much harder to fab. My drive wheel is 3.5" AL with the inside bored out to reduce weight and runout. This gave me a 6 to 1 ratio. Take the 1725 motor rpm divided by the 6.0 ratio and you get a 287 BPM. My thoughts on BPM is that slow is better because it gives enough time between blows to rotate the stock and move in and out. Any faster and it becomes more challenging.

I think I found the 'sweet spot' on my blown ribbon burner tonight but it was more luck than intuitive effort. Oh, did I mention that I had a rather loud backfire when I leaned it too much? And who says learning can't be exciting??? Gas induction is into the blower body at 3PSI. With the choke, regulator, needle valve and discharge valve, is there any side bars to adjusting these or do you just mess with it till you get it right? Any ideas? THX, Keith

Some more free bees that came with the blowers

Thanks guys for the ideas. I use a chop saw with outriggers to hold long pieces. Next time I'll use a piece of 6 X 6 angle iron for squaring up.

Using NeatGuy's pdf plans, I set out to make my own version. I didn't taper cut the brick but used a saw kerf to slide the brick into the lip of the burner plenum. Things learned - Pilot drill with 1/4" good quality masonary bit then drill 5/16" to minimize runout and oversized holes. Clamp solid to wooden backplate when drilling to minimize breakout on back side. Brick manufacture said to water flood while drilling to at lowest speed. Found this out after burning up (2) $8 bits. Brick won't absorb water, just let dry thoroughly, won't spald when fired. Cut expanded metal baffles in alternating pattern and 2x2 square plate on top baffle to better distribute gas. Blower choke didn't work so I used a gate valve on the discharge side. Total burner cost including mistakes $62. Reward: perfect flame pattern, fast heat, super hot !!!! Life is good

Have 1.5" duraboard and am going to build 2nd forge, this time with a ribbon burner. Are there any advantages/disadvantages to building with two layers of duraboard over one layer. What about two layers under the floor and one layer on roof and walls? Any thoughts/ideas appreciated.

Over the years I've had to butt weld a pipe to a plate top and bottom, usually for a tool stand or roll around cart. I set it up using a square and magnets and tack with mig. Sometimes this works OK and then sometimes not so OK. Yesterday was not so ok. Any ideas to improve on what I'm doing??? Also, how can I parallel the two plates? THX

Grant, I may have confused the question...To clarify, I was talking about using a nozzle into the port vs 1/4" line plumbed into the port.

Blower that I picked up has a 1" port for natural gas induction into the intake/blower housing. If I'm using propane into the blower, do I still need a nozzle or can I just plumb a line and use a needle valve and regulator for adjustment. I'm thinking that I may need a nozzle for brack pressure for adjustability but not for the air/gas mix. This forge will be used with a ribbon burner.

Thanks for the info guys. The fiberglass panels will work best in my application and budget. How are they attached to sheetrock? the sight didn't really say?

Moved into our new shop wich has 10' ceilings with blown cellulose attic insulation. I chose the cellulose because it has more sound deadening than fiberglass. Lots of bare, unobstructed walls and ceiling. Now that we've moved in, I can't believe the echo from just normal shop activity and hammering is even worse. So I'm looking for cheap, non-flamable sound deadening material that I could maybe mount diagonally between the ceiling and wall to break up the reverb. Was looking for old school compressed cellulose bats that came in 24 X 48 sheets but they don't seem to be available anymore. Exposed foam panels are very expensive and seem like a fire disaster waiting to happen. Anyone got some ideas or sources?? (And yes, I know, have a new shop and am already complaining)

Thx Mark...not that I need to weld my anvil hardy hole but hadn't thought about using it in non-stick situations for welding.......

Had three of these blowers given to me. They are rated at 2.8 WC and a Max Capacity of 550,000 & min capacity of 150,000 which doesn't mean anything since it doesn't give the unit of measurement. They are designed for natural gas but I intend to use them for propane. I got 6 Sticktite nozzles in 2" and 2.5" sizes which might come in handy if I ever want to make a chip forge (if they will work with propane???). I'm open to nay thoughts/suggestions/ideas. I'm building a ribbon burner forge and then these fell in my lap....God is good, never early, never late.... A question was asked about the blower so I posted a second shot of all three

OK...a freeform assembly magnet and a floor sweeper....so there are liget uses...THX

Friend is closing his lead foundry after 35 years. Among the many things that he gave me were 3 working Eclipse blowers plus 6 burners !!!! Just when I had decided to make a ribbon burner forge......Made in Canada about 1982

5 years ago, another friend gave me a 25 # 4" X 9" X 9" magnet, the pulse generator for the radar unit out of a soviet tank.. (Don't ask... its classified LOL) Had to move the sucker yesteday and had trouble breaking it away from the plate steel it was stuck to. Hate to chunk it but still can't find a use......

Friend has a lead foundry business (shielding for X-ray equip). He offered me some brick sized graphite blocks. I of course said yes but have NO idea what I can use them for.....Any thoughts?

Oh, California...are you sure you can even possess one of those legally??? LOL

Building a new shop for the last five months and haven't been smithing. I originally bought two 5 gal tanks and then work gave me four 7.5 gal tanks and one 10 gal. Seven tanks!! Last wee, a family member asked for a business card holder so I used that as an excuse to fire up the forge....You guessed it....had to rob the BBQ grill. I was abused by my own family !! Just goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished.

I have several "doohickies", a couple of "thingamabobs' laying around somewhere but I've never seen or heard of a "framitz". Is that a German "whachamacallit" or a software virus? __________________

Try Ebay store "HIGH-TEMP REFRACTORY STORE" they sell Mizzou Plus in 55# bag good to 3000 deg. $35 plus shipping

Seems like any blown idle circuit would still require the blower to be running at speed...how about a pre-set stop for limiting the blower intake choke and a venturi style idle circuit like plumbed into the the mixer tube that would keep the burner going at a reduced rate. Like Andrew said, let us know....be safe

I cloned the T-Rex burners on my mill and lathe. Liked the design and challenge of machining them. Something 'magical' about fast spinning metal parts with chips (and coolant)flying everywhere. Even better, I have less than $10 in each burner not including the nozzle. Frosty, it's another 108 deg day with 20+% RH... wish you were here LOL. Now to buy a CO monitor and insulate the shop before it gets 'cold'.